Gang-plow



C. W. MICHAEL.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED MAY8,1913

Patented Manso, 1920.

4 SHEETS--SHEET l.

C. W. MICHAEL.

GANG PLOW.

APPLlcATloN man MAYs.1913.

Patented Mar. 30,1920,

4 lSHEETS--SHEET 2.

.W.- MICHAEL.

GANG PLow.

APPLICATION man MAY 9,1913. l 1 ,335 ,1 23. Patented Mar.` 30, 1920. 4 '23 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

C. W. MICHAEL.-

GANG PLOW.

y APPLICATION FILED MAY, 1913. 1,33'123, `Patend Mar.30,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

rnvrrnn s'rATns PATENT OFFRE CLEMENT W. MICHAEL, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO J'. I. CASE PLOW WORKS, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A. CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN;

GANG-PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent. "Patented Dial. 30, 1920.

Application filed May 8, 1913. Serial 766,360.

To all fio/wm it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLEMENT W. MICHAEL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county oi Racine and State ot .5 Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang-Flows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to means for raising the plow bodies when desired either orpassing over anyobstruction or for movingthe plow without operating upon or disturbing the ground over 'which it is passing. My invention is more particularly designed for use in connection with that form of gang plow drawn by someform of traction engine though, as will appear 'from the following description and the accompanying drawings,A it is also applicable to animal-drawn plows and other agricultural implements. y

The gang plow in common use prior to this invention consists of a rigid frame mounted upon suitable ground wheels to the rear edge of which is attached a series or oi plow members arranged on an in` eline or @n chelon transversely of the machine, the plow beams being pivoted to stepped cross-pieces or girders arranged along the rear edge ot the stationary frame.

Upon the iframe is mounted one or more handles 'connected to the severa-l plows for raisthe irme. lt has been found, however, ist 'this imposes an unnecessary amount of physical labor upon the man operating the plow, and various expedients have been proposed for transferring the `labor or worlr to I the, traction means under 'the control of the opera-toi'. My invention relates more specitcally to this class of devices. i

The preferred form ot the invention is illustrated iu the accompanying' drawings and specifically vdescril'ied in the following :-;}..zfci:tication for the purpose of cxempli'cation, it being understood, however, that the invention may be embodied in various other Forms oi' impleinents. The scope voi? the invention may be gathered from the following claims in which I have endeavored to distinguish it Jfrom the prior art, so tar as known to me without,` however, abandoning or relinquishing any portion thereof.

ln the accompanyingl drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of in v invention; Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same, showing the plow bodies in del later.

pressed working' position; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the plow members raised, however; Fig. Ll is a cross-section upon the line bers; Fig. 8 is ra plan View of anotherl portion of the means for raising the plow inem-- bers; Fig. 9Iis a vertical elevation ot the `same`in section upon the line 9-9 of Fig.

8; Fig. 10 is an elevation partly in section. of the same showing the parts, however, in another position; and Fig; 11 is a sectional detail showinga construction to be described The same reference character is applied to each part wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

' The wheeled .trame to which reference has been made, in the particular embodiment off my invention disclosed in the drawings, comprises a pair of transverse beams 11-12, spaced apart as best shown `in the plan view Fig. 17, and connected by longitudinal members 13, 1d, 157 which are extended beyond the rear cross-beam 12 to different distances and connected to each other and to the other members of the frame bythe several crossbeams 1G, 17, 18, 19, 20, arranged in stepped relation across the rear of the fra-me and to which the plow beams are severally pivoted. Two diagonalv struts or braces 22, 23 also assist in giving rigidity to the structure, and a i-earmost cross-piece 21 is Jfurther braced and supported by the bent longitudinal beam 2li which is secured thereto at its rear end and at its i'ront end to the extension of the longitudinal beam 15. The front wheels 25, 2G upon Vvhieh the `frame is supported, are journaled in swinging trames 27, 28 pivoted to the liront cross-beam l1 at 29, 30 frespec` tively, and extending' beneath the rear beam 12, which is ornjled or provided with arcul ate extensions 31, 32, against the under face cic which anti-friction rollers 33, 34k, 'carried by said pivoted frames, bear, so that the front 'wheelsare allowed a swinging movenient and yet 'fully support the frame at this point. The rear portion o'f the frame is supported on a pan-of ground wheels 35, 36, the constructionand mounting of which will be to the fraznc is best shown in Fig'.

described later. As .heretofore stated, the cross-beams 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 are arranged in stepped relation to each other and it should be added, are preferably substantially equidistant from each other and are severally equipped with means for attaching the plow beams thereto. ln the form shown the plow beams are composite, consisting of a straipglit and a bent ineniber, 37, 38 upon which the plow bodies 39v are suitably iuounted and which are provided with bumpers i0, all for maintaining their proper lateral relation. .ein inclined guy or tie 4t2, connected to the rearniost plow beam and to the frame serves to partially sustain the lateral strain upon the bcains when the implenient is at work and the rearinost beani is also provided with a furrow wheel 43. The combination of the bumpers. `guys and wheel just described are not claiined herein but forni the subject matter of a copending` application No. 678,393 filed February 17, 191,2. l l

The iueans for connecting the plow beams lt consists in the case of each plow bearn of a. pair of eye-bolts 4d. l5 throu the eyes of which extends the bolt 46 which also passes` Vthrough suitable openiiug's in the inner endsl` of the beam inernbers 38. The inernberl 37 is outside of the eye-bolt and betweenl the saine and the -hcad '47 of the 'pivot bolt 46'. but the member is between the eyebolts, and 1n order to retain it in position, a

sleeve i8 surrounds the pivot bolt and is maintained in position. by ineans of a lun; 119i' through which lthe bolt 44 passes. A

As thus far described the gane' plow does not essentially differ from certain other inipleinents of the saine general character of the prior art, and. por ce, forms no part of my present invention. lt also old to provi plows of this character with power nieans for raising the plowV bodies. ln the particular means, however, by which this accomplished`r resides the principal featuf of niv invention. For this purpose a transverse shai normally revolved freni sonic suitable source; of power, as for example as shown in thei construction chosen to illustrate my inven-1 tion, from the rear ,ground wheels` and means are provided at suitable intervals alongthe shaft, adapted to be engaged at the will of the operator with the shaft to elevate the several plows. The rear 1ground wheels 35, 36 as shown in F' 4 are loosely mounted upon a shaft 50 which in turn is i ournaled at one end in a bracket 5l. depending from the bearb 211: and at the other, in brackets 52, 53 proie-cti rearwardly from the cross-piece 16 and arranged upon opposite sides of the ,c'round wheel In order to impart' revolution to the shaft 50 from the ground wheels, it is provided vwith a pair is mounted upon the frame andv of ratchets -l, 55 rigidly mounted thereon adjacent the respective ground Wheels and the latter' carry disks 56, 57 upon which are mounted pawls 5S, 59, engaging the ratchets, suitable spring ineans being provided for keeping thein in contact therewith. The pawls are pivoted to the disk by means of shafts 60, 61, journaledy in and-extending` through said disks and headed upon the ends opposite the pawls, spring 62, 63 being compressed betweenl the headed end of each shaft or pin and the adjacent side'of the disk so that the pawl is normally kept in position to engage its ratchet, but may be forced out of the plane thereof against the spring pressure, when for any reason it is desired to disen gage those parts. It will thus be seen that when veither ground wheel Lis forwardly driven, as in the forward inoven'ient of the plow, it will correspondingly turn the shaft 50; but reverse movement will not affect said shaft, as the'pawl will merely click over the ratchet.

Upon the shaft 50 is secured a sprocket 64k which is connectedv by a chain 65 with a sprocket 66 upon the cross shaft 67 above referred to which is continuously revolved thereby and may be connected up, kwhen desired, with any or all of the plow beams Shaft 67 is ,eccentriA cally mounted in bearing blocks 67 f in up Viofhts 67b which bearing blocks are pro- 7ided with arins 67c connected by links 67d lwith the forward ends of the nienjibers l" for raising the saine.

114, and 15, the connection being capable of adjustment by a series of openings 67e in order to vary the tension upon the chain 65. the particular gang plow shown, the plow bodies and beams, which together with the elements carried thereby I have designated herein as the plow members, are siX in ninnber and since it is designed to connect two of the beams together to the cross shaft by fthe saine mechanism, but three such mechanisrns are required. Therefore. the shaft as shown is equipped with three ratchets 68 7 0, in line respectively with alternate y plow beams, (see Fio. 1). A yoke or double arm k71 is pivoted at its ends to the shaft upon opposite sides of each ratchet wheel spanning the periphery of the' saine,l and carries a pawl 72 which is pivoted between the thereof in position to be thrown into engagement with the ratchet Figs. 8. 9` 10). Upon. the back of each pawl is mounted a catch plate 73 which is formed with a slot 74e through which extends a notched latch 7 5 pivoted at 7 6 to lugs upon the yoke 7l. Between la lateral eitension 77 on the latch and the catch plate 73 is mounted a tension spring 78 which serves both to hold the pawl 72 normally retracted and to maintain the latch in position with its forward face 7 9 in contact with the wall of the slot in the catch plate. Upon the side of the catch plate'is mounted anheyel 80 to which is tied the -end of a rope 81 by which the yoke and pawl are manually controlled from some convenient position. When the parts are in the normal position shown in Fig. 9, a pull upon either of the ropes throws kthe kpawl to which it is lattached into engagement with its ratchet wheel and at the same ltime the latch mounted on the yoke' carrying said pawl under the influence ofits spring engages its catch plate preventing premature or accifiental ydisengagement of the pawl. "The pin 81 upon which the'pawl 72 is mounted extends beyond the sides ofthe yoke and a pair of side links 82-82, are-mounted upon its opposite ends and secured to an operating rod S3 which at itsopposite end is connected to the plow members to be raised thereby in the manner to be presently described. The ratchets being constantly'rotat-ed, it is obvious that when kthe 4pawl upon any lvoke is engaged with its ratchet the yoke is carried over past its dead center with. reference to its connection rtoits plow members, the links beingbent as shown to permit the necessary extent oi movement. The engagement continues until the latch 75 strikes the anti-friction roller 84 upon the stationary bracket 85, which thereupon withdraws the latch from engagement with the bracket 73, and also retracts the ppawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel.

In the meantime, however', the yoke having swung to such av point that the pivotal point of the links '82 thereon has pased beyond -.the line or' draft of the rod 83 through the sha'fft, or, in other words, beyond the dead center, the draft ot the said links 82 no longer tends to swing `the yoke backward and its further onward movement is prevented by the engagement ot the links with the hubs 71, 71', of the yoke. The device will therefore hold the plow beams to which it is connected elevated until manual intervention by the operator. VVhenit is desired to lower the plows controlled by the device another pull is given to the rope of suii'icient powery to throw the yoke upward past the dead center. Thereupon it will swing arrmnd to its original position and permit the plow beams to drop. It is to be noted, however, that the yoke is provided with side lugs E36-86 which, when the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 9, come in contact with the side links 82 and prevent the further downward egim/'ement oi the yoke.

As above stated each rod 83 is connected at its rear end to a pair of' beams to raise the same. For t-he purpose of this connection one of the beams of each pair carries a transverse oscillating shaft mounted in lugs 88, 89 bolted or otherwise secured to vthe longitudinal members of the beam, and

the beam preferably selected `i'or'this purypose is .the more advanced of thefzpair, the shaft lbeing yordinarily ymounted :substantially in the same transverse .plane with the pivot of-,the other 4beam of the :pair (see Figs. 2 `and 3). shaft 87 isztormed into upwardly extending side members :91,592,10 the formerl of which upon fthe vinsiderithereof `is bolted an upwardly `extending arm :93 to the upper .end ofwhich is connected by a yoke v94tfthe operyating `rod 83 heretofore .mentioned VObvious'ly the 'forwardrpullfupon the rod 833 which occurs'w'hen the pawlis thrown'into engagement with the ratchet asheretoforc 4described"rocks the shaft 87. But in order that the movements of 'the shaft'87, when one orfbothlof vthe plows 'is thrown upward by contact with some obstacle, may not l"buckle the "rod 83 Y' or f otherwise interfere with the `action of the lifting mechanism,

the '.yoke'94 is slotted as at l96 to receive .the bolt 95 vinthe upper end of arm '93 so `that considerable motion of the farm 93 is possible vwithoutimoving the rod"83. The bolts by which the arm`93` is se'curedito theupwardl'y extending member =91 also `secure a stop v plate 97 thereto which, bycoming in contact with the adjacent longitudinal member 370i the beam, limits'vthe backward movement of the shaft-83 ,and arm 93y carriedthereby. Upon each of themembers 91,92 extending from the Shaf1`t87 Ais pivoted a leverr98, 99 which carries a-lateh .100, 101fattached to `a spring fingerpiece 102, 102 at one end landiextendingthrough a slot 103fin the lever at :the other into 'engagement with a curved lrack 104 'rigidly secured to the upwardly extending member upon which the lever is `pivot'ed so that the angular relation of each of the levers to theb'eam ymay `be varied at will. As shown in Fig. 7, the .lever-98 is spaced away .from the 'member 491 `and `overhangs vthefadj acentplowbeam 'for a purpose which will presently appear.

Upon `each plow beam is mounted a llever 105, which is pivoted to ya bracket plate 106, on said plow beam and carries at its lower end a gage wheel 107 To the upperend of each lever is pivoted a yoke 108, connected by rod 109, with one ofthe levers 98, 99, above described. In normal operation levers 105, are in the position shown inu Fig. 2 with their lower ends extending forwardly, but when it is desired to raise the pair of plow rbeams the oscillation of the shaft 87 and its 'attached levers 98 99 under'the ypull of the operating rod swings levers 105, about their pivots'so that they exert a downward thrust upon the surface on which the gage wheels bear and vraise the plow beams to which they are attached. n order to assist the operation ofvthese levers 105, they are connected by tension springs 110 with points 111 forward thereof upon the plow beam. 'By adjusting Lthe levers l98 `99 along `their At its opposite ends `the arcuate racks the position of the gage wheels may be adjusted and the depth of the furrow varied at will. y

The operation of the implement has perhapsv been sufiiciently described in connection with the detailed description of the parts, but mayl be briefly reviewed here. During the ordinary operation of the plow the beams and plow bodies carried thereby are in their lowered position and motion is continuously transmitted by the mechanism heretofore described from the ground wheels to the rotary shaft 67, carrying the ratchet wheels. If, for any reason, it is desired. to raise any pair. of plows, the corresponding rope, which is led to a point convenient for the operator, is pulled to bring the pawl attached thereto into engagement with the corresponding ratchet. The latch 7 5 is then drawn by its spring into engagement with its catch plate to hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet and thereby the yoke 71 is'thrown. over beyond. the dead center into the position shown in Fig. 10, at which point the pawl is thrown out of engagement with the ratchet by reason of the latch 7 5 coming in contact with the stationary roller 84. The yoke, however, having passed the dead center, remains in this position until further manual intervention, the corresponding plows being held in their raised position. As before described, when .it is desired to again lower the plows a sufficient pull is given to the rope to throw the yoke back over the dead center, when it swings over to the position shown; in Figs. S and 9, dropping the bottoms controlled thereby.. When. it is desired to raise all the plows the ropes may be pulled together though ordinarily it is found more convenient to pull. them successively.

Mv invention provides a simple and eminently practical means for raising the plows by power and without greatly increasing the weight or extent of the apparatus or excessively multiplying the parts, or'increasing the cost of the implement.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, a frame, ground wheels journaled thereon. a series of plow members independently pivoted to the frame, a transverse shaft journaled on the frame, a series of ratchet wheels secured to the shaft at intervals, an 'arm pivoted on the shaft adjacent each ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by said arm adapted to engagemthe ratchet, the pawl being so positioned on the arm that it er;- tends upwardly when the arm is in the rearward position and downwardly when the arm is in the forward position, and means for exerting a forward pull on the pawl in either position, to'throw said pawl into eny@agement with the ratchet when the arm is in .the rearward position and to disengage the awl from the ratchet when the arm is in tie forward position, means driven by one of the ground wheels for giving the shaft a rotation in the same direction as said ground wheel, and a substantially horizontally movable connection from each said arms to a corresponding plow member foil raising the latter when the pawl is thrown into engagement with the ratchet. 2. A o'ang plow comprising a frame, a series of plow members independently pivoted to the frame, a ground wheel journaled on the frame, a shaft journaled on t-he frame, sprockets on said shaft and groundwheel, respectively, a chain connecting said sprockets for rotating the shaft in the same direction as the ground. wheel, a ratchetksecured to said shaft, an arm pivoted on said shaft, a pawl on the arm adapted to engage i the ratchet, an oscillatory shaft mountedl upon one of the plow members, an arm on the last said shaft, a connection from said arm to the aforesaid pawl carrying arm, a second arm adjustably secured to the oscillatory shaft, and connections therefrom. to the plow beam to raise the latter. 3. A gang plow comprising a frame, series of plow members independently pivoted thereto, a transverse shaft j ournaled onV .the frame, a ground wheel ournaled on the shaft, sprockets on said shaft and ground wheel respectively, a sprocket chain for drivingthe shaft in the same direction as the ground wheel, a series of ratchets on said shaft, an arm pivoted 0n the shaft adj acent each said ratchet, a pawl on the arm adapted to engage the ratchet, an oscillatory shaft for each said arm j ournaled on a plow member, an arm on said oscillatory shaft, a connection from the last said arm to the arm pivoted on the first mentioned shaft, a second arm j ournaled with respect to Said oscillatory shaft and adapted to be adjustably connected thereto, a lever pivoted on the plow beam, a gage wheel carried by the lever, and a connection from said lever to the arm adjustable upon the oscillatory shaft to raise the plow member.

4. A gang plow comprising a frame and a series of plow members pivoted thereto, means for lifting the plow members comprising a constantly rotating shaft, means for rotating the same, a series of ratchet wheels on the shaft, a series of pivoted arms each connected to one or more of the plow members, a pawl carried. by `each arm, a catch plate mounted upon each pawl, a latch extending through the catch plate and adapted to engage the pawl when the latter is thrown into engagement with its ratchet, and stationary means adapted to be engaged by the latch to, disengage it from the pawl and disengage the latter from the ratchet wheel. y j

5. In an implement of the Class described,

a frame, a series of plow members pivoted thereto, a rotary shaft mounted on and above the frame, a ground wheel, sprockets on the ground wheel and shaft respectively, a chain connecting said sprockets for rotating the shaft in the same direction as the ground wheel, a series of ratchet wheels fixed upon the shaft at suitable intervals with their teeth arranged to point forwardly when above the axis of the shaft, a yoke embracing each ratchet and pivoted to the shaft, a pair of links pivoted to each yoke and upwardly bent intermediate their ends, and a rod also pivoted to each pair of links and connected to one or more of the plow members for raising the Same, a pawl pivoted on the yoke, a stop fixed upon the frame and adapted to withdraw the pawl from engagement with the ratchet when the pivot between the links and yoke passes the dead center with reference to the rotating shaft.

6. In an implement of the class described, a frame, a series of plow members pivoted thereto, a rotary shaft mounted on an d above the frame, a ground wheel., sprockets on the ground wheel and shaft respectively, a chain connecting said sprockets .for rotating` the shaft in the same direction as the ground wheel, a series of ratchet wheels fixed upon the shaft at suitable intervals with their teeth arranged to point forwardly when above the axis of the shaft, a yoke embracing each ratchet andfpivoted to the shaft, a pair of links' pivote-d to each yoke and upwardly bent intermediate their ends, and a rod also pivoted to each pair of links and connected to one or more of the plow members for raising the same, a pawl pivoted on the yoke, a latch engaging the pawl to hold it in engagement with the ratchet and a stop mounted upon the frame in a position to be engaged by the latch and to withdraw the same from engagement with the pawl and' the latter from engagement with the ratchet.

7. In an implement of the class described, a frame, `a series of plow members pivoted thereto, a rotary shaft mounted on and above the frame, a ground wheel, sprockets on the ground wheel and shaft respectively, a chain connecting said sprockets for rotating the shaft in the same direction as the ground wheel, a series of ratchet wheels fixed upon the shaft at suitable intervals with their teeth arranged to poin-t forwardly when above the axis of the shaft, a yoke embracing each ratchet and pivoted to the shaft, a pair of links pivoted to each yoke and upwardly bent intermediate their ends, and a rod also pivoted to each pair of links and connected to one or more of the plow members for raising the same, a pawl pivoted on the yoke, a loop mounted on the back of the pawl, a latch pivoted on the yokeextending through and engaging vthe loop to hold the pawl in engagement with its ratchet, anda ystop mounted upon the frame in a position to be engaged by said latch to withdraw the latter from engagement and the pawl fro engagement with the ratchet.

, S. In an implement of the class described, a frame, a series of plow members pivoted to the frame, a transverse rotary shaft mounted on and above the frame, a ground wheel, sprockets on the ground wheel and shaft respectively, a chain connecting said sprockets for rotating the shaft in the same direction as the ground wheel, a series of ratchets mounted upon the shaft, an arm carrying a pawl mounted adjacent each ratchet for engagement of `the pawl therewith,` a connection from the arm to a plow body, the construction being such that the arm and connection are adapted jto be thrown past the dead center with reference to the shaft, a pawl mounted on the arm to engage the ratchet and ay connection to the pawl adapted by a pull to throw the pawl into engagement with its ratchet when the parts are in position with the plow lowered and to throw the arm and link past the dead center when the parts are in the position in which the plow member is raised.

JOHN B. MACAULEY, ROBERT DOBBERMAN. 

